Like Ships in the Night
by lostg4ever
Summary: A series of missing children's reports causes the team to be sent to Chicago to investigate an artifact disturbance. But with Helena's sudden return and suspicious explanation to her whereabouts, can Myka and the rest of the gang trust her enough to solve the case? (this summary is shit, sorry)
1. Chapter 1

Hi all! This is my attempt at a multi-chapter fic. Fingers crossed I can get this finished in a reasonable amount of time. I hate waiting on updates too. Set mid-season 4. Title taken from the song by Mat Kearney.

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights Warehouse 13 or the characters. I am nevertheless, borrowing them for some fun ;)

xxxxx

**Chapter 1**

Myka awoke with a start, her heart racing and pupils dilated. She sat up gingerly and clutched her chest. Something had startled her. She peered into the darkness surrounding her, wondering what could have woken her up like that. Granted, the whole team had been on edge these past few days with Artie acting strange and a string of difficult artifact retrievals. Maybe she was just worried and rightfully so. _Probably just a bad dream,_ Myka told herself. But just as she was about to lay back down for sleep again she heard a faint knock at her door. Frowning, she glanced at the clock sitting on her bedside table: 3:26am. _Hm. That's odd,_ she thought to herself before slowly flinging the covers back, sliding her legs over the edge of the bed, and slipping on her house shoes. Not that it was her place to get them, but Myka didn't have a bad vibe so she decided against grabbing her tesla. Besides, it was most likely Pete wanting her to join him for a midnight snack. So she opened the door, rubbing the sleep from her eyes and giving her body a good stretch.

"Pete. Go to sleep. Midnight snacks are actually supposed to be at—"

"Hello Myka."

Upon hearing that dangerously enchanting voice, Myka's heart resumed its earlier pace. She looked up, pushed the mass of curls out of her face, and sighed. There in front of her, standing in the doorway with her arms hanging loosely at her sides and legs slightly apart suggesting a casual demeanor despite what time it was and that she had been M.I.A since they defeated Walter Sykes, was Helena G. Wells.

"H.G.?" Myka said so quietly that she doubted the other woman heard her. "What…what the hell are you doing here!? Actually, no…where have you _been_?" Myka hissed, her eyes wide in disbelief.

"Well it's good to see you too dear," Helena replied, any evidence of being hurt by that welcome undetectable.

"Just answer the question. H.G. That's the least you could do," Myka said bitterly. She had no idea why she was suddenly furiously but there it was. Who the hell does she think she is! Well…besides the obvious.

Something flashed across Helena's face so quickly any normal person would have missed it. But Myka knew the author better than anyone. The insecurity in Helena's eyes was not lost on her. It was times like this when Myka feared she was falling under the Victorian's spell again.

"Helena?"

"I just wanted to see you, love. It has been a while."

"A while…H.G it's been months and you haven't even bothered to call."

"I'm afraid there was no way for me to do so. If you'd be so kind as to let me in, I'll explain," Helena replied, gesturing toward Myka's room.

Myka folded her arms across her chest and let out a dramatic sigh. As much as she wanted to hear what extravagant excuse Helena would have for disappearing after they saved the warehouse, Myka was exhausted. "Tell me tomorrow," Myka said coolly as she turned away from Helena and walked over to her dresser. Myka reached down and opened the bottom drawer where she kept her pajamas and pulled out a night-shirt and some loose-fitting boxers. When she turned back to face Helena, the Victorian was just about to walk away.

"Hey!" Myka called a little more sternly than she had wanted. "Get back here. I said you could tell me in the morning, not disappear again." When Helena looked back at Myka she saw the curly-haired woman wave the clothes she held in her hands with an endearing annoyed look on her face. Helena couldn't help but smirk. "I'm pretty sure Lena hasn't made up the spare bedroom in ages so you can stay with me for the night. Besides, I rather not let you out of my sight for a while," Myka added.

"As you wish," Helena replied calmly, trying her hardest to keep from smiling.

"Good. Now put these on and get in bed," Myka demanded as she dropped her clothes in Helena's outstretched hands and pulled back the covers on the other side of her bed.

Helena walked into Myka's bathroom to change and pull her hair back before bed. But she took that time to gather her thoughts and her feelings. How exactly was she going to explain her absence to Myka. She had barely thought through coming to visit let alone what she was going to say. Helena looked at herself in the mirror, hardly recognizing the woman looking back at her. She looked tired and worn down. She was thinner than the last time Myka saw her and there were a slew of new scars covering her skin. She hoped Myka wouldn't notice. Helena wasn't sure how long she had been in the bathroom but when she heard Myka call her name with concern, she knew she had let the time slip by.

"Just a minute!" Helena called through the door. Then she splashed her face with warm water, took a deep breath, and walked back into Myka's room. She turned the light off in the bathroom and pushed her way through the darkness until she felt her legs hit the edge of Myka's bed. Then she hesitantly crawled under the waiting covers, her breathing a bit quicker than she had hope. _Oh do get it together Helena, _she scolded herself before closing her eyes. But Myka could feel the tension in Helena's body.

"Helena, are you okay?" Myka asked tentatively. Maybe she couldn't wait until the morning to find out what was going on after all.

"Hmm? Yes. Fine. Are you?" Helena replied stupidly. _That's right…divert. Like she's not going to pick up on that._

"You're stiff as a plank, H.G. What is it?" Myka asked her. They had never shared a bed before and it had been a long time since they saw each other, but that wouldn't bother Helena…would it?

Helena thought about her answer. Part of the problem was that she was surrounded by total darkness and it made her think of her time in the bronze. Then there was the fact that she was laying only a short roll to the left away from the woman she dreamed about every night since she had left.

"The dark. It's just…sometimes it reminds me of being in the bronze."

"Oh," Myka exclaimed, relieved that it wasn't because she had crossed a line by suggesting Helena stay over. "Well you're not in the bronze anymore, Helena. I would never let that happen again… Just…try to relax and get some sleep."

Helena could feel her heart flutter more as Myka spoke. She wondered sometimes if Myka knew how she truly felt about her, but then as quickly as the thought came, Helena pushed it away. "Thank you." Helena said aloud. _I love you, _she added to herself.

There was a long moment of silence and then Myka slowly slid her arm toward H.G's until they were touching. Instinctively, Helena rubbed the back of her hand over Myka's, much like she had done the first time they met while being handcuffed to a chair. But these were completely different circumstances. They were completely alone...vulnerable. Myka couldn't help but let a sad smile creep across her face.

"I missed you," she said before the moment was gone.

"As I you, believe me," Helena replied and then she slipped her hand into Myka's, let out a deep sigh, and finally drifted off to sleep.

*woah...angst alert ;) Thanks for reading! Comments always welcome*


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

A few hours later, Myka awoke to an empty bed. Not that she was _that_ surprised but Helena did have some nerve. She turned her head and looked at the clock. This time it read 8:40. _Dammit. Why didn't the alarm go off?_ She had overslept. She'll never hear the end of it at breakfast…if there was any food left that is. As if on cue, Myka caught a whiff of buttermilk pancakes and bacon. _Strange_. Myka sat up and looked around. There on the foot of the bed sitting on a tray was a fresh batch of pancakes, three strips of bacon, and a pealed orange.

Myka raised an eyebrow and smiled. "What is this?" She said slowly, racking head her head for an explanation. When she could find none, Myka shrugged. "Well, now all I need is a hot cup of coffee," Myka said happily.

"That I thought you'd better make yourself, dear. I have no idea what American's see in coffee."

Helena was standing in her doorway again, fully dressed, holding a cup of what Myka presumed to be black coffee in her favorite mug. "H.G. did you do all this?" _Of course she did. _

"Well, I put everything on the tray and poured the coffee. But I'm afraid I'm a terrible cook. You have Leena to thank for the food," Helena replied smiling. "Think of it as the least I can do," Helena added, using the same phrasing Myka had the night before. "I also disabled your alarm. I hope you don't mind, but considering the lateness of the hour in which I returned, I figured it best to let you sleep in."

"Yeah well, Artie won't think so. But, thank you. It's sweet, really," Myka said, softening her expression.

Helena just smiled and sat the cup of coffee down on Myka's nightstand. "I'll see you in a bit."

* * *

After Myka ate and got ready for work, she made her way over to the warehouse. She wondered what Artie would say when he found out Helena was back. She had been surprised that Artie adamantly vouched for her loyalty to the Regents but since Helena vanished soon thereafter, Myka hadn't thought it necessary to question Artie's motives…until now.

Myka could hear Pete and Claudia's voices as she approached Artie's office. "Hey, it's true! Everyone loves a good cup of coco…add some whipped cream and a hand full of marshmallows on top… Hey, where's Leena?"

"Dude, you always wanna know where Leena is. She's not your personal chef," Claudia replied.

Myka smiled to herself and walked inside. Claudia had her seat turned toward the room, hands busy on some kind of device she must have developed, smirk still on her face. Pete was leaning against Artie's desk, arms folded across his chest, pouting. "She's not your personal chef," he mocked to himself. "Yeah well, one day," he mumbled. Helena sat across the room from the others, her hands folded neatly in her lap, gleaming in Myka's direction. "Hello, darling."

Myka rubbed the back of her neck as a small blush creped across her face. Did she have to call her that? "H.G."

"Mykes! There you are. You all right? It's not like you to sleep in," Pete said looking up.

"Yeah Myka, look who's back! H.G. just got in this morning!" Claudia chipped in happily.

"This morning?" Myka shot Helena a look, her eyebrows raised and the blush returning, but the Victorian pretended not to notice. "Well, I guess I was asleep when this occurred."

"All right children, gather 'round. We've got work to do!" Artie said effectively preventing Helena from responding. He briskly walked in and shooed Pete away from his desk. Claudia stuck her tongue out at the agent before turning back around in her chair to face her computer.

"Morning, Artie. I slept well thank you," Pete casually as he walked over to where Myka and HG were sitting.

"Hm? What? Yes, well. It would be a good morning if you all weren't thirty minutes late!" Artie barked as he plopped down in his chair and pulled 4 file folders out of his desk drawer.

"What? You just got here!" Pete replied defensively. "Besides, Leena made pancakes and bacon…BACON. There's no way I was rushing through that."

"It's true Artie," Claudia defended. It's like she knew H.G, was coming this morning and wanted to have a proper welcoming."

"That's right. H.G. is back. That's why we were late." Pete said mater-of-factly.

"Morning Arthur."

"H.G." Artie said nodding her way. "Myka."

"Morning Artie. Did you know H.G. was going to be here?" Myka asked a bit surprised.

"Yes," Artie replied.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Myka demanded.

"Because I am not required to tell you anything, Myka."

His words stung. Myka looked to Helena who was curiously studying the old man. "Geesh, Artie. You're a little grumpy today." Pete exclaimed, shrugging his shoulders at Myka as an apology.

"No, I just want to get through the assignment today without you all asking me a million questions. Now can we _please_ get to it?" No one responded this time, weary of what his next response would be. Instead, they listened as Artie quickly debriefed. He checked his watch every few minutes and nervously brushed his hair out of his eyes. Everyone noticed he was more high-strung than usual, but no one had the guts to confront him.

Apparently, within the last week alone, the Chicago PD has filed over 20 missing persons reports, all claiming the victims to have disappeared around the same time."

"That's not considerably high, Artie." Myka chimed in as she looked through the report.

"It is if all of the people missing are 7 year old girls who disappeared on their birthdays."

"Woah," Claudia said. "That's just creepy…I'll take artifact for 600 please."

"Artifact for 600 to the lady in red," Pete replied in his best Alex Trebek voice pointing toward Claudia. "This artifact, known or otherwise, is causing 7-year old girls to go missing in the Windy City. Hint: It will most likely be in the form of an old antique that only Myka can identify. You have 5 seconds…3…"

"Pete this isn't a game!" Myka scolded.

"Time!" Pete bellowed as Claudia giggled.

"Enough! Pete, Myka, H.G, your plane leaves in an hour. I suggest you pack and review the facts. We don't have a lot of time before another girl goes missing. Claudia, I want you to hack into the Chicago PD's system and see what other information we can get. Look for anything that was not mentioned in the reports. Now…all of you go!"

* * *

On the plane, Myka couldn't help by give Helena a thorough one-over. Pete was snoring to her right and Myka wanted to take advantage of the opportunity. The Victorian had her eyes closed as she leaned her head back against her seat, but Myka knew she wasn't sleeping. Myka first noticed that Helena was thinner, almost frail. There were healing cuts underneath her left eyebrow and a fading bruise along her jawline. Myka clamped her hands together to stop herself from reaching out and touching the ugly mark on her friend's face. Why hadn't she noticed this last night? _Oh Helena, what have you gotten yourself into this time? _Something told Myka the Regents were involved

"I quite despise these feral contraptions," Helena said quietly to her companion. "The air quality is worse than London in the summer."

Myka chuckled. "Somehow I doubt that."

Helena cracked an eye open and peered at Myka, the corner of her lips turning slightly upwards. "Well maybe not _nineteenth_ century London," Helena conceded.

"Helena…" Myka started, shifting in her seat to fully face her friend.

"Can I get you ladies anything to drink?" The stewardess asked nicely from the aisle.

"Just water, dear," Helena replied charmingly.

"Of course ma'am. And for you?" The woman continued, looking toward Myka. "Can I get you anything to drink?"

"No I'm fine thank you."

"Ok. Someone will be coming through to hand out snacks in a little bit," the woman added before turning to the people on the other side of the aisle.

"Did someone say snacks?" Pete asked sleepily as he sat up in his seat. "Are we there yet?"

Myka sighed dejectedly and turned back around in her seat. Well there goes that opportunity to coax Helena into spilling on her prior whereabouts. She didn't want to ask her with Pete sitting there. She knew Helena had a way of sugar-coating anything important and this time Myka needed the whole truth. She picked up the book she brought with her on the plane from the holder in front of her and turned to where she last left off. This was going to be a long trip.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi everyone! Thanks for your lovely comments. Enjoy. **

**Chapter 3**

After they checked into the hotel and reviewed the case file again, Myka went for a quick run before questioning the parents of the missing children. Pete had given her a funny look when she announced that she was going running _now_ but Myka assured him that she was just restless from the plane ride. Though that was part of the reason, she also just needed to clear her head before they dove into the case.

Myka decided to go running in the little park next to their hotel. It was pretty chilly, but the cold air would do her some good. Hopefully, it would help clear her mind. She hadn't really been able to process how she felt about Helena coming back. Did it matter that the Victorian had left without saying goodbye? Of course. And to top it off, she hadn't even called! Yet somehow, Artie knew she was coming back and didn't say anything. Could that be part of the reason he had been acting strange for the past few weeks?

Myka continued her run, but found herself left with were more questions than answers. This was going to be a tough and she wasn't sure how much information Helena was willing to divulge. Besides, Myka had a feeling the case was going to take a lot out of Helena and she didn't want to pry any more than necessary. The way Helena had flinched when Artie mentioned that it was little girls who were going missing and not adults had saddened Myka. She needed to find the artifact and its user before any more girls disappeared for her sake and for Helena's.

Myka took a sharp left and turned down a little cobblestone path, shadowed by low hanging trees. It was cold and windy enough in Chicago as it was, but now, deprived of the sunlight as well, Myka decided she better turn back before she caught a cold. She abruptly changed her direction before she went too far down the new path, but failed to see the old man who was trailing behind her before she knocked into him.

"Oh I'm sorry! I didn't even see you. Are you all right, sir?" Myka asked befuddled. _Where the hell did you come from_, she thought.

"Don't worry about it, dear. All's well. Besides, I can see you were deep in thought." The old man scrunched his eyes and surveyed Myka. "There's something troubling you," He said finally.

Myka couldn't help but feel a little uneasy but brushed it off. The man was just trying to make small talk. But then again he had seemingly appeared out of nowhere… "Yeah, I wasn't paying attention. Again, sorry," Myka responded and resumed her jog. "Have a nice day, sir."

"You too," was all he said as he watched her jog away.

By the time she finally got back to the hotel and showered, it was late. She had been out longer than she expected. Pete was cranky and Helena looked concerned.

"Mykes it's almost 3 o'clock. Where the hell did you run to?" Pete nearly yelled when she finally met the two of them downstairs in the lobby.

"I lost track of time," Myka said honestly. "Look, let's just get started. The quicker we get through these interviews, the faster we'll be done."

"Yeah all right, but first, we're stopping to get pizza. We're in Chicago and Pete's hungry," he replied. "Oh, and I'm driving."

Myka rolled her eyes and sighed. She looked toward Helena who had an unreadable expression on her face, something Myka rarely was privy to.

"Is everything all right?" Helena asked her as they got into the rental car.

"I'm fine, HG," Myka replied. She started to say something else, but then decided against it. Now wasn't a good time. Maybe after dinner she could get the woman to open up.

* * *

"Like I told the police, when I went to get Samantha from school, she wasn't in our normal spot. I wasn't surprised at first because I was late getting her and when that happens, she's usually just waiting for me inside."

"Around what time was this?" Myka asked her gently.

"I always pick her up at 2:30 but I was running late because there was an accident on the Eisenhower and it had everything backed up. I got there just before 3." I went inside and asked one of the teachers if she had seen Sam, but no one seemed to know where she was."

Myka looked down at the carpet at the mention of the missing girl's nickname. "Please continue," she sighed.

"By 4, I knew something was wrong. My husband works until 6 and Jack has guitar lessons after school from 3-4 on Mondays and Wednesdays."

"I go there right after school. I didn't even know something was wrong until I got home," the girl's older brother added.

"We looked everywhere for her: the playground, inside the school, the local ice cream shop… everywhere," Mr. O'Mealy said. "It's like she just disappeared!"

"The police are saying this happened to other girls as well. Why would someone do this?"

"There are a lot of sick people in the world," Helena stated suddenly.

"I should have protected her better. I missed something," Mrs. O'Mealy cried.

"We cannot keep them locked away. There was nothing you could have done, believe me."

The woman looked Helena in the eyes, desperately trying to compose herself. "You find my daughter." Helena nodded. "Do whatever it takes."

Myka was watching Helena intently. She had let the mask fall away ever so subtly as she spoke to the wife, but as soon as she turned her head to face Myka and Pete, it was back, almost as if it never left…almost. Myka continued to look at Helena, hoping her expression would convey everything she was feeling but couldn't say. But Helena just softly smiled and looked away.

* * *

Myka, Pete, and Helena questioned the rest of the families and by 8pm, everyone was exhausted and a little more than frustrated.

"I just don't get it. None of these families have anything in common. Their daughters aren't in the same ballet class or even went to the same summer programs. All we know is that they were all taken on their birthdays."

Myka frown as she searched for her room key. They were back at the hotel and calling it night. "Pete…how would the kidnapper _know_ it was their birthdays? Like you said, they have nothing in common."

"Myka has a good point," Helena said slowly. "He or she must have some way of getting information about these young girls. All of the girls were always taken around the same time, between 2 and 3 in the afternoon. That's a particularly specific timespan. It's as if the kidnapper is only able to locate them at that time."

"Or is certain where they will be during those hours…You might be on to something with that H.G. I'll give old Artie a call and let him know. Hopefully Claud has something for us as well. Night you two!" Pete called from inside his hotel room.

Myka opened her hotel room door and looked across the hall at Helena. "Would you like to come in? If I recall correctly, you still owe me an explanation." Myka said quietly.

Helena nodded, "All right." She crossed to Myka's side of the hall swiftly, sparing a glance toward Pete's closed door. Myka noticed and raised an eyebrow. "I'm not ready to come clean to everyone just yet. But you…you know me better than I know myself. You deserve to know," she responded to Myka, stepping into her personal space and letting her dark eyes roam over Myka's facial features for the briefest of seconds. Myka hated when she did that. Ok not _hated_ but it always made her feel exposed. She could feel the blood rush to her checks and then start its descent to a more indecent place. She took her bottom lip between her teeth and bit down, hoping the pain would help her focus. Helena took Myka's hands in her own, causing the Secret Service agent to drop her gaze to their intertwined hands before looking back a Helena who was about to say something. Myka didn't know what to expect, but it certainly wasn't Pete flinging his door open like a wild animal and bellowing, "Claudia has a lead!"

The two women jumped apart. "Pete! Myka yelled startled.

"What? You two better get in here! And what the…what's this?" he said pointing between Helena and Myka.

"Nothing. Let's go," Myka said quickly before pushing Pete aside and storming into his room. Helena followed thereafter giving Pete her signature "you-are-unbelievable-and-insufferable" looks. _Women_, Pete thought before he too went inside, the hotel room door closing with a thud.


	4. Chapter 4

*Hi guys, so this chapter is basically just artifact background but there is some helena/myka action if u look hard enough. Sorry to keep dragging out Myka and Helena's talk, but I want the build up because I plan on devoting an entire chapter to where Helena has been.*

*btw- all mistakes are mine...Enjoy!*

**Chapter 4**

By the time Pete was done filling in Myka and Helena, it was 10pm. Apparently, Claudia was able to pull some information off the police data base about an anonymous caller who phoned the chief detective assigned to the case the day before. "He will only stop once he's satisfied," the caller told him hurriedly before hanging up.

"Are we sure this is an artifact and not some creep with a van who has a thing for little girls?" Pete asked seriously once they had finished talking with Claudia.

"Pete, something's making these kids disappear without a trace. The police can't find anything and there have been no eye-witnesses despite the kidnappings taking place in crowded places like schools and playgrounds. It's hard to believe someone wouldn't notice a man snatching little children and even harder to imagine that these girls didn't put up a struggle. He has to be using an artifact. Maybe something that allows him to be invisible?"

"Like an invisibility cloak!" Pete exclaimed excitedly.

"Anyway," Myka began, giving Pete a look. "We're not going to find it by sitting here all night. Let's get an early start in the morning and head over to the school where Samantha was taken to see if we can retrace her steps. If no one saw her leave the building, then there has to be another way the kidnapper got in and out. In the meantime, can we try to get some sleep?" Myka said rubbing her eyes.

"Yeah ok," Pete replied as he opened a pack of Oreos he found on top of the mini-fridge.

"Ok, night Pete," Myka called to her partner as she closed his door just in time to see him inhaling the last Oreo. She looked toward her hotel door and then back at Helena who was watching her curiously. "Well…goodnight H.G."

"Myka."

"Yeah?"

"Tomorrow. I promise."

"Ok. Tomorrow, "she conceded before turning in for the night.

* * *

After spending the entire day tracking down useless leads, the team decided to stop for frozen yogurt and regroup.

"Ok what do we know so far?" Myka asked Pete and Helena as she scribbled notes on a legal pad.

"Mykes we've been over this," Pete whined. "Can't I just eat my froyo."

"No Pete! We need to solve the case. Now, we know the culprit is a man from the anonymous caller. All the girls were taken between 2-3pm on their birthdays. Jill Myers said she saw the first girl, Gretchen, leave her party to go play on the swings but when she went after her, Gretchen was gone. No one heard or saw anything. She said Gretchen was there one minute and then gone the next. Almost as if she vanished into thin air."

Something Myka kept saying was telling Helena to look harder. She had the unsettling feeling of déjà vu. There was a blatant pattern. "On their 7th birthdays," she added after some time.

"What?"

"All the girls; they disappeared on their 7th birthday…doesn't that sound familiar?"

"I don't know. Was your kid 7 when…shit, I'm sorry H.G."

"Pete!" Myka scolded. She looked toward Helena whose expression had faltered a bit. But after she regained her composure, she responded evenly.

"That's quite all right. She was nearly 7, but no. That's not why it sounds familiar. Something about a little girl on her 7th birthday and…it is in a story, I believe."

"Alice's Adventures in Wonderland!" Myka and Helena exclaim simultaneously.

"How do you guys do that?"

"There's an artifact that is sending these girls to Wonderland! That must be it. That's why the police have no suspects and no one saw either child actually get kidnapped. Alice fell through the hole in the garden on the afternoon on her 7th birthday…she just vanished." Myka said, her hands gesturing wildly.

"Wait, this doesn't have to do with Louis Carroll's mirror does it?" Pete asked worriedly. "Because I just can_not_ deal with that psycho again."

"No I think this is something else. Maybe the artifact doesn't have anything to do with Alice…"

"Just to be sure, we better call Claud and have her check the database. Maybe she can find something helpful," Pete offered, pulling out his Farnsworth and shoving a huge spoonful of frozen yogurt into his mouth.

Helena looked across the table at Myka who was smiling proudly at her. "Just like old times."

"My thought exactly," Myka beamed. "Once we know what we're looking for, we can snag, bag, and tag."

"In a rush, are we? I visited Chicago once, back in 1893 for the World Columbian Exposition. Gorgeous. Though of course none of the "inventions" could compete with my own."

"Of course not," Myka said laughing. "It's not that I'm in a rush to leave, I just… I guess I'm in a rush to spend more time with you…no case, no missing kids, just us."

"That would be lovely, darling."

Myka blushed and flashed a small smile. Myka couldn't wait to find out what _this_ was between them. She had waited for so long and now Helena was finally back, in the flesh, and all Myka wanted to do was pick up where they left off…not that she had any idea where that actually _was_. They had never gotten around to speaking honestly about how they felt about each other. But now that they had made some progress on the case, Myka didn't feel so guilty about asking Helena to tell her the long version of why she left.

Myka assumed Pete was too preoccupied with Claud to overhear their conversation but Pete heard every word. He decided to reel their attention back in before either of them said anything he really shouldn't be listening to. "Ok, Claud, tell 'em what you know," Pete said a little louder than necessary.

"Hey Mykes, H.G!" Claudia chimed from the Farnsworth screen. "Alrighty, I was able to identify a possible artifact: the favorite doll of the Liddell sisters, which are the girls Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, aka Louis Carroll, based Alice off of. Apparently he would take the girls on fishing trips and "adventures" every now and again. That's where Carroll got the idea for Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. But the girls wouldn't go anywhere without the doll-"

"—I was like that with my Eric Marsden autograph," Pete interrupted.

"Anyway," Claudia continued, "when he started formulating his story, Carroll assured them that when Alice goes to Wonderland she has plenty of other "friends" to play with and has no use for her own toys, which is why Alice travels to Wonderland alone. I was looking at a previous ping from the early Warehouse 13 days and a similar situation happened in the 50s. It never got resolved, though. What I'm guessing is going on now is someone got ahold of the doll which must have the ability to transport its companion to Wonderland…or at least a _type _of Wonderland. Don't ask me how, but whoever has the doll now is probs using it to take the kidnapped kids there."

"I bet that doll didn't take lightly to not being written into the story. Now it's on some kind of revenge hunt," Pete added.

"Pete. It's a doll. It doesn't have feelings," Myka replied.

"Yeah but it's an artifact and we all know how batshit crazy those things can be."

"Especially when Louis Carroll is involved. Remember his mirror? I still get the creeps when I think about Alice and her rampage," Claudia admitted. "Be careful you guys. I'll call you if I have a lead." And with that, Claudia closed her Farnsworth and left the three musketeers to get to work.

"It appears this case has gotten more interesting," Helena said raising an eyebrow.

"You could say that," Myka responded shaking her head in worry. She had a bad feeling about this. Something was off. But since Pete hadn't mentioned anything about his vibes, she decided to ignore her uneasiness and finish her yogurt.

But when they finally left the frozen yogurt shop, Myka couldn't help but notice the feeling of uncertainty return and this time it was stronger than before. She stopped walking and looked around, her secret service training kicking in and telling her to scan the perimeter. Everything seemed to be fine until she caught sight of a little girl sitting on a bench across from the yogurt shop they had just left. And clutched tightly to her chest, was a very old, antique doll. Myka swiftly left the others and jogged over to where the little girl was sitting alone.

"May I see your doll?" Myka asked the girl gently. She could almost feel the doll pulsating. She was positive this was the artifact. The little girl next to her said nothing. She had her eyes closed shut tightly and was mumbling something Myka couldn't understand.

Pete got such as strong vibe when he glanced toward Myka that it nearly knocked him over. "Mykes!" He called out suddenly, catching Helena's attention who had already started walking back toward the car. But Pete's voice didn't reach Myka who was now resting a gentle hand on the little girl's shoulder.

"Myka don't!" Helena called to the agent, but before Myka could even think to look up and respond, she was hit with the sudden sensation of falling and then the world around her faded to black.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Watching Myka disappear before her eyes was just as painful as watching her eyes fill with tears when Helena told her they should destroy the janis coin or later on when she was strapped to the chess lock. Just like she did then, Helena felt extremely helpless and somehow at fault.

"Tell me you have a plan," Pete said sharply, looking toward Helena as if she had somehow caused this.

"Yes, I planned on Myka disappearing," Helena replied dryly.

"Well you never know with you H.G. There's always an alternate plan forming in your head."

"Don't blame this on me, Peter! Myka is a grown woman and capable of making her own decisions. I had nothing to do with what just happened. How could any of us know that that little girl was going to be transported into an alternate world and somehow manage to take Myka with her?" Helena all but yelled. She needed to regain her composure if she was going to be able to save Myka. Helena took a deep breath and tried to clear her mind of any distractions. "Ok, call Claudia and see if she has anything for us to go off of. In the meantime, I'll go try to find that girl's parents and see if they know where she obtained the doll. That's a start."

"H.G. wait," Pete said slowly, pointing toward the bench where Myka and the little girl just sat. There tucked between the back of the bench and the concrete wall behind it, was the doll. Helena swiftly pulled out her purple gloves, slipped them on, and grabbed the artifact. The doll was similar to the ones Christiana used to play with. In fact, the creamlike complexion of the doll and its shiny black eyes reminded Helena of her own child quite a bit. The doll's hair was curled in ringlets, a tiny bow holding the hair together in a ponytail. She was dressed in a white and blue flora dress and tiny white oxfords covered her feet. It was unsettling to say to the least. _Of all the artifacts, _she thought to herself.

"H.G. What are you waiting for? Bag it! It'll bring back Myka and all the other missing kids."

But something told Helena to ignore Pete and wait. Nothing was that easy, especially not the delicate craft of artifact retrieval. She still felt as if some piece of the puzzle was missing and the doll would play a significant role at finding out what.

"I left the neutralizing bags in the car," Helena lied. "I'll just go back and neutralize the doll, you go talk to the parents," she continued, pointing toward a worried looking young couple standing outside the yogurt shop.

"Ok but hurry up. Meet me back here in 5," Pete replied coolly and trying his best to keep his voice down. He knew it wasn't Helena's fault that Myka had disappeared but he still didn't trust her. Yes she had figured out the chess lock to save Myka and then helped save the Warehouse from Walter Skyes, but afterwards she just disappeared. The line between being a hero and a villain is distinguished only by ones actions. Heroes don't usually vanish after saving the day unless they have something to hide. Pete just didn't know what that was and whether or not it would change her status to villain again.

And with that, Helena and Pete happily parted ways, both knowing that if they didn't get Myka back soon, all hell would break loose.

* * *

Despite the falling sensation, Myka couldn't remember hitting the ground. She was still holding tightly to her young companion, the fall unable to break them apart. She could tell that the wide open space they had just left was now gone and replaced with a dark, damp, and narrow room.

"Are you okay?" Myka asked the girl once she was certain they had reached their destination, wherever that was.

"Where are we?" the girl asked, fear evident in her voice.

"I'm not sure but it's going to be ok," Myka assured her. "Do you remember who gave you that doll? That might explain a few things and help us get out of here."

"An old man gave her to me," the replied as she ran her hands across the ground where she was sitting. "For my birthday. He said she was a special doll and that no one else had one like it, "the girl continued. "Where is she?" She asked puzzled. "I was just holding her."

Myka looked around the dark room to the best of her ability, but she didn't see the artifact anywhere. It must have stayed behind. "I don't think she came with us. But that's alright. Did you know this man?"

"No."

_Damn. Ok, Myka, think. We're just going to need to follow the story, step by step to get out of here. Hopefully we can find the missing girls along the way. All right, first Alice falls down the rabbit hole and finds two bottles of liquid: one to make her big and one to make her small…_Myka thought to herself. She looked around the room, but the only two things inside the cramped space were her and the little girl. "What's your name? I'm Myka."

"Cassie."

"Well, Cassie, let's see if we can find a door to lead us out of here." Myka took hold of Cassie's hand and led her around the enclosure, feeling for anything that would help them escape. The wall was cold and damp. Myka immediately recognized it as clay. _Are we actually at the bottom of a rabbit hole? Artifacts are getting weirder by the case, _Myka thought to herself. She pulled out her phone. _No signal, right. _Then her Farnsworth, but it wouldn't turn on. _Artie told us when we got back from Warehouse 2, that Farnsworths are designed to work underground. The only reason ours didn't is because Helena… oh shit. Pete and Helena are going to kill each other. _Myka let her mind ramble, jumping from thought to thought as it usually did when she was under stress. That's why she didn't hear Cassie calling her or the small wooden door the little girl had found creep open. She did however, hear the girl scream.

"Cassie!" Myka looked around and locked eyes on a stocky white creature with beady black eyes, a fat round belly and a fluffy white ball for a tail. A rabbit. Cassie ran over to Myka and grabbed ahold of her arm.

"Why hello there," the rabbit said in a strange accent that Myka couldn't place. "I've been waiting for you," he said to Cassie. Then he turned to face Myka and she could have sworn the rabbit's black eyes grew even darker. "And who might this be?" he asked, the tone in its voice changing from light and innocent, to mischievous.

Myka could feel Cassie shaking, so she pulled the girl closer to her. As she did so, she felt something hard dig into her side and instantly, her eyes lit up…her telsa. _Always a bright-side._

"Look we don't want any trouble," Myka said firmly with her hand outstretched in a peace offering. "We were actually just looking for a way out so if you could just point us in the right direction—"

"Out? You mean in. We've been expecting her," the rabbit replied, a twinkle in his eyes that Myka knew couldn't be good.

"No I don't want to go anywhere," Cassie spoke up.

"That wasn't a request," the rabbit said sharply and lunged toward the two of them. But Myka was prepared and she quickly pulled out and fired her tesla, the electric charge landing directly on his chest. He soon crumpled to ground before them, but there was no telling how long he would stay out.

"Okay, let's go!" Myka said quickly and pulled Cassie through the tiny wooden door the rabbit came through and slammed it shut.

* * *

Helena had quickly run back to the rental car and jumped in the driver's seat. She was grateful she had gotten used to working these contraptions over the past year because just as she started the engine, she saw Pete rounding the corner at a full sprint. _Dammit Peter, you and your vibes! _Helena quickly maneuvered out of the parking lot and sped off, Pete's fist just missing the side of the SUV as he called after her.

When Helena was a safe distance away from both the hotel and the yogurt shop parking lot where she left Pete, she parked the car on the side of the road and pulled out the doll she had dropped into her messenger bag. She slipped off the purple protective gloves she was wearing, grabbed the doll tightly with both hands, and thought of the one thing she desired most—Myka. At first, Helena didn't feel anything and feared her idea of going to Wonderland after Myka wasn't going to work, but just as she was about to give up, she felt a rapid falling sensation. Then, the doll slipped out of her hand and the world went dark.


	6. Chapter 6

****Hey guys! Hope this story is making sense...I don't know how I feel about the artifact but too late to change it now. Thanks for hanging in there! Only a couple more chapters left...I think. Oh and reviews make my day****

**Chapter6**

"I knew it was too good to be true. I just knew it!" Pete bellowed into his Farnsworth screen. "She just magically reappears one day, no hard feelings and everything's good until Myka disappears! And then what? 20 minutes later so does H.G.!"

"Pete, did ya ever stop to think that maybe this was just a coincidence…or you know, that H.G. went after Myka to save her?" Claudia offered.

"But why do it alone? It's not like I don't want to find Myka and all the missing girls too! Wouldn't developing an actual plan have worked a lot better instead of purposely using the artifact like a crazy person?" Pete asked rhetorically. "I swear that lady is still cuckoo."

"Or merely in love," Mrs. Frederic exclaimed nonchalantly as she suddenly appeared in the background of the Farnsworth screen like a ghost.

"Geesh Mrs. F!" Claudia yelped, clutching her chest dramatically. She was too surprised by the caretaker's presence to register what she had said.

"Wait, in what?"

"Love, Mr. Lattimer. I said, Helena may have acted in the way she did out of love for Ms. Bering. The heart often overpowers the mind in such matters."

"Say what?" Claudia asked stunned. She spun around in her chair and faced Mrs. Frederic who looked slightly bored as usual.

"H.G. and Mykes? No. Ha… no way," Pete said shakily. "Right Claude?"

"I don't know man, it's possible. Mrs. F. how do—" Claudia began, but when she turned around to look at the caretaker, she had disappeared.

"Always did have a way with words," Pete shrugged.

* * *

When Helena's vision adjusted to the change in light, she realized she was now in a dark enclosure with no obvious way out. She instantly felt her chest tighten and the air leave her lungs. Helena was already on her hands and knees, but she curled into a tight ball upon remembering her time in the bronze. How was she supposed to save Myka if she couldn't even stand? _Okay, Helena, you need to calm down and breathe. You are not back in the bronze, you are not in bronze…not in bronze. _Helena repeated over and over again until she could feel her breathing level out. She looked up after a few more minutes of regaining her composure and froze. There lying off to the side was a very large rabbit who appeared to have been teslaed and was now just beginning to stir. She smiled slowly. Helena recognized the work of a trained warehouse agent and instantly knew she was on the right track. In fact, she was only minutes behind.

Meanwhile, after making their way through the door, Myka and Cassie found themselves in a luscious field. The grass came up to Cassie's waist and was a bright green. Flowers speckled the field left and right. Myka didn't recognize the species but couldn't deny that their beauty and the sent they emitted were equally overwhelming.

"Woah…" Cassie said looking around and laughing. "Awesome!"

Myka just nodded. She had read Alice in Wonderland a number of times but actually being in the place was an entirely different experience. She knew however, that _this_ Wonderland was not going to be like the one in her book. After all, over 20 girls were missing and for that reason, Myka forced herself to ignore the beauty she saw before her and focus on the task at hand.

"Come on let's go," she said, grabbing onto Cassie's hand and leading her across the field.

After what seemed like ages, Myka came across a pebbled stone path that split into a fork a little ways up the road. One path lead toward a tall dark forest, the trees so over grown, some of the branches were mere inches from the ground. It reminded Myka of the park she had ran around upon first arriving in Chicago. The second path followed the edge of the flower field (which seemed to go on for miles) and stopped at the top of a very steep hill upon which was a magnificent castle.

"Ok. In the original book, Alice meets a number of different creatures before ever making it to the queen's palace."

"What are you talking about?" Cassie asked, scrunching her nose at Myka in confusion.

"Alice in Wonderland. Have you ever read that story?"

"No. But, I think I saw the movie," Cassie replied brightly.

"Yes, well, nothing like the book. _Wow. I sound like Helena. "_Anyway, I think that's where we are…Wonderland."

"Cool."

"Not quite," Myka replied but decided against elaborating. No need to scare her. "Let's go this way," She said, leading the girl down the path that would eventually take them toward the palace. It was their best bet if they were going to find the missing girls and simultaneously stay out of trouble. Everyone knows shit goes down in the woods.

It didn't take long however, for Myka to realize that there was no "staying out of trouble" when it came to traversing the vast and mysterious mythical land. Before they even reached the base of the hill, they were approached by monstrous card soldiers who had their weapons drawn at the ready.

"I don't need to read the book to know that this is _not_ good," Cassie whispered to Myka as the group of cards approached. Myka couldn't help but smile bitterly. The girl reminded her of Claudia.

"Stop!" One of the card soldiers yelled, stomping over to them and pointing his spear at Myka.

"Ok. We've stopped," Myka told the card, holding out her hands to suggest surrender. She quickly counted the number of cards they were potentially up against: 12. Not a full deck but enough to cause a stir.

"Don't even think about it," a slinky purple and pink cat said as he seemingly appeared out of nowhere and plucked Myka's tesla from her belt. He tossed it aside and flashed her a smile full of white teeth.

"Cheshire Cat? You're supposed to be on Alice's side!" Myka exclaimed.

"You're not Alice, dear," the cat replied, his eyes narrowing as he hobbled over to the lead soldier who patted him lightly on the head.

"Now move!" one of the cards yelled as he shoved his spear toward them. "To the palace!" he called out to his fellow soldiers and they instantly got in formation and led their prisoners up the hill to meet the Queen of Hearts.

_This is not good_, Myka told herself. She hoped Pete and Helena had made some progress on the case because they could really use the help. But, little did she know, Helena had made enough headway across the flower field to spot Myka and Cassie just as they were being led away.

"Got you," Helena whispered to herself before taking off after them.

* * *

"What do you mean our daughter's been taken! Taken where! By who!" Cassie's mother yelled at Pete, tears streaming down her face as she clung to her husband who was just as distraught.

Pete and Claudia (who was immediately flown out when Artie found out that both Myka and Helena were missing—Artie assuming everything was Helena's fault, of course) were delicately trying to explain to Cassie's parents what had happened to their daughter. It wasn't really working.

"It's going to be okay. She's with Myka so she's saver than she would be otherwise," Claudia offered. Pete shot her a look as Cassie's mother processed that information.

"Wait, you know who took her! What the hell is going on!" she yelled at the agents getting up from her seat on the couch and storming over to where Pete and Claudia were sitting.

"Woah, no that's not what I was driving at. Look, someone's taking girls from across the city. That much we know. Cassie was talking to our fellow agent, Myka, when she disappeared this afternoon. Now, they're both missing."

"Then it was this…Myka, person! She has our daughter!"

"Pete," Claudia called to her partner who was stuffing a pastry into his mouth.

"Hmm?"

"Pete! How could you be eating at a time like this?"

"How could I not!" Pete replied after nearly swallowing the lemon bar whole. "Mykes is missing. And I'm not too happy about Helena going after her without me so excuse me if I need to eat right now! It's the only thing keeping me remotely calm," Pete explained. "Now, Mr. and Mrs. Meyer, we are going to get your daughter back, and the rest of the missing girls. I promise. We just need a little bit more information from you first, okay?" Pete said turning toward the couple who reluctantly nodded. "Good," Pete continued. "Just before your daughter disappeared—literally into thin air—" Pete added under his breath. "—She was holding a doll."

Mrs. Meyer's frowned at "into thin air," but responded regardless. "I don't remember her getting a doll. We were at the yogurt shop with some family: my sister, her husband, my mom, and Brad's dad," she began. "She got a bunch of presents but no doll."

"When did she leave the shop?" Claudia asked her.

"I don't really know. One minute she was sitting next to me and the next she wasn't."

"I saw her leave the booth," Brad interjected cautiously.

"What?"

"When we were trying to figure out who was going to pay the bill…Cassie…she got up to walk around, I assumed. She always wonders around when she's bored. I didn't think anything of it."

"Okay, well she must have run into someone either in the shop or outside. Pete let's take a look at the security feed and try to find out who's behind this," Claudia suggested.

The two agents quickly said their thanks and headed back toward the yogurt shop where they finally caught a break. The shop's security footage showed Cassie briefly having an exchange with an old man (neither of who Claudia nor Pete recognized). He presented her with the same doll Pete remembered seeing on bench and he instantly identified it as the artifact.

"We got him, Claude. This is our guy."

"Great! Why don't you go see if anyone knows who he is while I hunt down the rental car Helena snagged and see if the doll is still there. Then we can neutralize it and hopefully bring everyone back."

"Best plan I've heard all day," Pete exclaimed, finally feeling like things had taken a turn for the better.

* * *

"Hey!" Myka protested as a card soldier roughly shoved her down a flight of stone stairs leading to the basement of the palace.

"Quiet!" the leader barked. "Put them in the cell. I'll inform her majesty we have more guests."

_More? Then we've come to the right place. _Myka deducted. She grabbed Cassie's hand as a 4 of Jacks pushed the two of them down a dark narrow corridor. The basement of the palace was damp and smelled faintly of sewer water. When they finally were instructed to stop, Myka could just make out a large iron cell in front of her. The soldier swiftly opened the door and waited for his prisoners to enter. But as her eyes adjusted to the light, Myka realized the cell was not empty. All along the back wall, huddled together for warmth and comfort, were roughly 20 little girls.

"Let us out of here!" One of the girls cried, but the card solider ignored her.

"How dare you keep these girls in here like this!" Myka yelled. She knew as she was doing it, that there would be grave consequences, but Myka couldn't help herself. She gave the card a rough kick, catching him off guard and sending him tumbling backwards. His spear landed far off to the right but he didn't have enough time to reach it before Myka grabbed ahold of the giant card's side and pulled in opposite directions with all her strength. *RIP* And just like that the card soldier was immobile in two pieces on the stone floor.

"Cheap," Myka spat.

"Woohh!" The girls in the cell behind her cheered. They were all too excited to notice the commotion had alerted the other few cards standing around at the basement entrance who ran over, weapons at the ready.

"Myka look out!" Cassie yelled.

Myka spun around as quickly as she could and roundhouse kicked the first approaching card. He fell with a grunt, but 2 more were fast on his tail. Cassie ran to Myka's side, and stomped with all her might on top of the card soldier who had just fallen.

"Cassie go wait with the others!"

"No, I can help!" the girl insisted. "See?" she exclaimed, giving the fallen card another kick and crumpling the paper he was made out of.

"I can help too!" One of the girls in the cell said, jumping up and running to the open cell door.

"No. All of you just stay where you are!" Myka pleaded as she continued to fight the two other card soldiers. But taking on two armed soldiers in a dark unfamiliar place didn't exactly give Myka the upper hand. She feared she had met her match. She ducked and dived at every swing of their spears, all the while keeping an eye out for any more oncoming soldiers.

"Myka!" she heard a beautiful familiar voice yell from the stairs, but it was a distraction she didn't need.

As she peered toward the end of the hall, she felt a sharp pain in her side and then the brunt of a spear hit her square in the face. Before she lost consciousness, she was just able to register who that melodic voice belonged to….Helena.


	7. Chapter 7

****Thanks for all your lovely reviews. I'm glad everyone is liking the story and it makes sense. I'm really excited about this chapter so enjoy!****

When Myka came to, she took her time opening her eyes, preferring instead to just marvel at the comfort her body was currently experiencing. She was warm, for starters. And she felt secure, as if strong arms were holding her. But most of all, Myka felt safe. It was a strange feeling at first, almost like a dream, and she didn't want to wake up. But a distant soft murmuring brought her to consciousness and when she finally opened her eyes, she was delighted.

"Helena," she said softly, looking up at the women who currently had her arms wrapped around her protectively. Myka smiled up at her.

"Hello, darling," Helena practically purred. "I'm afraid you've been out for some time. How are you feeling?"

"Wonderful," Myka replied quickly and then blushed. "I mean, considering."

Helena beamed but added seriously, "Considering you were stabbed."

"I was what?" Myka started, alarmed as her memory slowly came back to her. She had been fighting off one of the card soldiers when he had jabbed his spear into her side and knocked her out. She tried to sit up, but a sharp pain struck her side so she slowly lied back down, noting the way Helena resumed their previous position.

"It's not bad. I am most concerned with your head," Helena soothed.

"That hurts too," Myka replied sheepishly. She looked around to check if the girls were safe, but was shocked to find the cell empty.

"Where are the girls?!" Myka exclaimed, this time sitting up fully, despite the pain, to look around.

"They aren't here. After you were injured, I tried to get them out but by that time at least a dozen more card soldiers had arrived and ushered us back into this cell. Just a few hours ago, the girls were taken back out. It seems the Queen forces them to work during the day. Yet, she has not come to collect the two of us and for what reason, I do not know." Myka couldn't help but feel like she had let Cassie and the rest of the girls down. Helena, sensing her dismay, added, "Don't worry. I believe I know how to get us all out."

"Really?"

"Yes. Do you remember how Alice escaped Wonderland in Carroll's story?"

Myka racked her brain for the ending. Of course! How could she have forgotten? "Yes…Alice just wakes up."

"After she realizes she has had enough and that Wonderland isn't real and can do her no harm. It loses its hold on her."

"But the girls have been here for a while and from the looks of this cell, plenty of harm has been done. Why haven't they woken up?"

"Because they have yet to realize that Wonderland is not real. Deep down, they are still afraid and that fear means they still believe in everything around them. They have no control over this land until they can face their fears on their own."

"But, what about us?"

"Well, I believe we are still here because we know we cannot leave without the girls," Helena replied shrugging her shoulders. "But," she continued, "there also might be an element of fear involved."

"What are you afraid of?" Myka inquired.

"I'm afraid of losing you," was Helena's soft response. She looked down at her hands while she gathered her thoughts. Now was a good time, she concluded. "Myka, you are more important to me than you know." Myka waited for her to continue. She reached out and rested her hand on top of Helena's, letting her know it was okay. "I wanted to contact you these last few months, honestly I did, but I was not allowed. You deserved to know. You saved my life."

"I saved _your_ life? Helena, you save me from Caturanga's lock and then the entire Warehouse."

Helena couldn't help but smile at Myka's response. "That's not what I was referring to. I meant you gave me strength. There have been days when I thought I could not go on. A century in bronze makes the mind weary. Are brains are not constructed to withstand that type of lifespan." Myka felt her blood run cold when she realized what Helena was suggesting. "Befriending you was the best thing that could have happened. I would endure another century in bronze, if I knew you would be there when I awoke."

"Helena…" Myka started.

"There's no need to say anything."

"I want to. Would you let me speak?" Helena smirked and nodded. "Thank you," Myka continued. "Now what I was going to say was that you will always have me as a friend. I'm not going anywhere. But you haven't exactly been a good friend in return. You disappeared for nearly a year without even saying goodbye. I get that you couldn't contact me while you were off doing God knows what, but you could have at least said something before you left," Myka confessed a little sharper than she wanted but she was hurt and needed an explanation.

"You're right and I am truly sorry, Myka. I had no idea the Regents were going to give me this job. It was all very sudden, but yes, I could have at least left you a note. I suppose I did not think it would matter."

_Of course the Regents are involved. When are they ever not? _Myka thought to herself. "Why didn't you think it would matter? You mean a lot to me too, Helena."

Helena flashed her a sad smile and shifted so she was closer to the Warehouse agent who was now leaning against the side wall of the cell with her arms folded defensively.

"I just thought, since we had said our goodbyes in the woods before Pete attempted to destroy the Janis Coin, that saying goodbye again would be too…sentimental. Besides, I didn't think I would be gone this long."

Myka nodded, not knowing what else to say. She looked at Helena, and the scars she had accumulated during her absence. Myka reached out and brushed a tiny healing cut on Helena's cheek with her thumb. Helena leaned into the touch ever so slightly, craving the contact.

"What did they do to you?" Myka whispered. She knew Helena would make her "job" seem less dangerous than it actually was, but Myka needed to know at least the basics. No more waiting.

"After the Warehouse was saved, I was sent to the Regents for evaluation. There was a long discussion of re-using the Janis Coin, but some of the Regents, including Jane Lattimer, decided that I had served my time, especially since I aided in bringing down Walter Sykes. But…I disagreed."

Myka's eyes widened and Helena gave her a sympathetic nod in response. "Why would you think that?"Myka asked her, though she was pretty sure she already knew the answer.

"Because what I did, what I planned, can never be rectified, not even a year as a hologram could change that."

"But you know it was wrong and would never do it again. I know you wouldn't," Myka exclaimed.

"Of course not, Myka. But I still need to pay for my sins, some of which predate my de-bronzing."

Myka rubbed her forehead in frustration. Helena was not helping her headache at all. Why couldn't she just forgive herself? "So you asked to be sent away?"

"No. I suggested I serve my time in a more useful manner."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, the Regents decided to give me a project, so to say. I have been tracking down everyone on the Warehouse's list of dangerous suspects, keeping an eye on them, and if necessary, stopping them from doing harm to the Warehouse and its agents. I guess you could say I have been preventing future Walter Sykes."

"The Warehouse has a suspicious persons list?" Myka asked in wonderment.

"Yes. We had one during the Warehouse 12 days as well. Some of the individuals on the list are even ex-Regents. The Warehouse can't afford another near disaster. I've been making sure it never happens again."

Myka lunged toward Helena and wrapped her in a tight embrace, ignoring the protest she received from the wound in her side. She buried her face in Helena's neck and inhaled deeply. "When are you going to learn that being a martyr is _not_ okay?"

Helena held onto Myka tighter. "Never, darling, especially if you are the one I am trying to save."

Myka gave a sad laugh and pulled away. She had not realized she was crying until Helena dried her cheeks with her thumbs. But Helena's touch set Myka's cheeks on fire. She looked into her dark wondering eyes; eyes that had seen too much and endured too many things for too long but somehow still found Myka worthy. Before she could think twice, Myka slowly but surely, brushed her lips against Helena's, the tingling sensation she felt in her cheeks traveled to her lips and then the back of her neck where Helena was resting her hand. The kiss was like nothing she had experienced before, not even with Sam. It was magical and terrifying at the same time. But as quickly as it began, it ended when Helena pulled away.

"You need to save your strength. There's still work to be done and you're injured, darling."

Myka pouted but nodded her head in agreement and let out a contented sigh. "Alright, but as soon as we get everyone home safely, we are resuming this conversation."

"I would hope so," Helena said seriously. Then she clasped her hands together to keep them off of Myka, at least for the time being, and asked enthusiastically, "Now, what's the plan Agent Bering?"


	8. Chapter 8

**** Hello everyone! Terribly sorry about the wait. I had writer's block for a bit which is why this chapter is the shortest...forgive me. There's only one chapter after this one but I promise it will be amazing haha. I hope you all have enjoyed it! As always, any mistakes are my own. Comments welcome! ****

**Chapter 8**

Myka and Helena decided that the only way they were going to get the girls out of Wonderland was if they showed them that fear was the only thing standing in the way of their freedom. Myka knew the best way to do this was to stand up to the Queen of Hearts like Alice did and point out all the inconsistencies surrounding the mythical land and its inhabitants. Just how they were going to do this, Myka didn't know. She was also still confused as to why the girls were even there in the first place and what the connection was between the old man, the doll, and Wonderland.

Helena sensed Myka's dismay but could offer no explanation either and so held her tongue. Her main concern at the moment was Myka's health. She had dressed the wound and concluded from Myka's lucidity that she did not have a concussion, or if she did, it was mild. Regardless, Helena would feel a lot better if Myka was back in the B&B resting. She sighed and ran her fingers through her hair as usual when something was on her mind.

"What is it?" Myka asked frowning.

"Nothing. Just wishing for this case to be over," Helena replied.

As if on cue, a group of card soldiers stormed into holding cell.

"Get up! Come on, let's go! Time to meet her majesty," the leader of the group exclaimed as he unlocked the cell door and dragged out Helena and Myka.

"Unhand me!" Helena said sharply. The card soldier flinched but held fast. Instead of responding, he pushed her roughly outside the cell where she was grabbed by two more soldiers…just for good measure.

Helena and Myka were lead up the stone stairs, through a long corridor, and into the main hall which was elaborately decorated with hearts and decks of cards which frankly, was quite creepy. The side wall contained a huge bay window which faced the garden. There, working outside on the lawn looking tired and annoyed, were the missing girls pulling up weeds and pruning the rose bushes. Their overseer was of course one of the Queen's many soldiers who was lazily lounging on the grass while tiny forest animals gave him a foot massage.

Myka looked at Helena who gave her a classic disgusted look. Myka smiled. She was glad her and Helena had finally taken the next step. It was like an enormous weight had been lifted off her shoulder. For so long she had struggled to come to terms with their "relationship" and she finally had an answer…it was always more than friendship and always would be. So now all Myka wanted to do was kiss her. _Later_, Myka reminded herself, _when you can do more than just kiss her. _

"Bring them here!" a high pitched voice called, disturbing Myka from her daydream. She looked up to see a short, very round, woman with powder-white skin and beady black eyes sitting on a huge thrown at the end of the hall, beckoning her goons to approach with the intruders.

"Helena the girls are outside. How's this going to work?" Myka whispered frantically as they approached.

Helena considered her options for a minute before replying confidently, "Change the rules."

Myka's eyes widened, but before she could say or do anything, Helena was already taking on the stunned card soldiers escorting them and then making a run for the bay window.

"Stop her!" the Queen of Hearts bellowed. But Helena had grabbed the weapon of the closest soldier and crashed it into the window. The glass shattered around her and she leaped off the ledge. She could hear Myka cry out her name as she landed with a graceful roll and subsequently jumped to her feet. Then she made a beeline for the girls.

"It's time you all see the truth!" Helena yelled at them as she knocked the card soldier "keeping watch" out cold. "Wonderland is only as real as you make it."

"What's this nonsense?" the Queen yelled from inside the palace.

"You can leave whenever you want," Helena continued. "Wonderland is supposed to be a place of enchantment and adventure. But this is nothing like that at all. You know this. Just like Alice knew at the end of her journey."

Myka ran to the window and anxiously looked on. She hoped Helena was getting through to the girls. She couldn't see their faces, but from the way they looked on while Helena spoke, Myka could tell they were listening.

"Why would the Queen need you to tend her garden if she has card soldiers that will do whatever she tells them? Why would Cheshire Cat ever work for the Queen? He's a proud outsider. He doesn't pick sides."

"That's true," the girl Helena had seen journeying across Wonderland with Myka said. "I've seen _Alice in Wonderland_ and it's nothing like this, you guys." The group of girls looked skeptical but intrigued. "Don't you want to go home to your moms and dads? We should listen to her. Besides, Myka trusts her."

Helena raised an eyebrow at the girl. She was assertive, sure of herself, and a good judge of character. She reminded her of someone.

"What's your name?" Helena asked her.

"Cassie. And you're right. This is not real," she said slowly as she shook her head. At first it was subtle and Helena could hardly notice, but sure enough, Cassie was disappearing. Her form became transparent and within seconds, she was completely gone.

"Cassie!" Myka shouted from inside the palace as she watched the young girl vanish. She couldn't believe her eyes.

"What is the meaning of this!?" The Queen insisted, finally making her way outside onto the lawn followed by her loyal minions. "What are you telling them? I haven't given you permission to speak!" She barked furiously, her face turning as red as the hearts in her dress.

"I can say whatever I very well please, thank you," Helena replied coolly.

"All inhabitants of Wonderland must obey me," the Queen fired back as she approached a very smug looking Helena.

"I am _not_ an inhabitant of Wonderland and neither are they," Helena replied, pointing to the girls behind her. "I am merely passing through and these girls were brought here against their will. Neither of which fall under the definition of "inhabitant," therefore you have no power over us."

"How dare you contradict me!"

"You did that by yourself." Helena replied and with that, Helena turned around to see the girls beaming at her and then disappearing one by one. She looked beyond the fuming Queen and her card soldiers who were quickly approaching her, and toward the weak, but smiling figure she had grown to love.

"Thank you," Myka whispered. She caught a glimpse of Helena flashing her a lopsided grin, much like the one Myka had given her before Sykes' bomb exploded, and then everything blurred and faded to black.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Myka could feel the space around her changing as Wonderland fell from her view. The effect made her dizzy so she closed her eyes and waited for it to subside. When she finally opened them again, she was looking out into an open square full of shops and unsuspecting people going about their day. She was back where she started…sitting on the bench across from the frozen yogurt shop like nothing had happened…except everything had. She had saved the girls…she had kissed Helena. Just the mere thought of it made her heart race. What did this mean? Myka looked around and was suddenly startled as a little girl with a huge smile on her face lunged at her for a hug.

"You did it!" Cassie exclaimed brightly.

Myka couldn't help but laugh. "No _we_ did it. I couldn't have done it without your help. You were really brave out there you know."

"Thanks," Cassie beamed.

"Now come on, let's get you home."

Myka grabbed her Farnsworth, happy to be back in the real world where her calls would go through and quickly reached Pete who huffed and puffed at her for a few minutes as a reprimanding for scaring him.

"Are you sure you're okay, Mykes?" He asked when he was done.

Myka grinned (a little too broadly than she had intended) and answered, "I couldn't be better."

"Well that's good to know…" Pete responded as he eyed her suspiciously. "What…what's that look?"

"What look? Just come get us."

"Mhm okay… oh hold on…incoming call…it's Helena. Looks like she made it back too. Alright I'm on my way!" Pete spluttered out before hanging up on her to take the other call.

Myka sighed in relief at learning that Helena made it back safe. She couldn't wait to see her even though they had just been trapped in Wonderland for who knows how long. Myka looked around and stopped the first passerby she saw to find out. "Excuse me, can you tell me the date?" She asked an old man who had a familiar gleam in his eye.

Myka felt a pull on her shirt and looked down at Cassie whose eyes were wide as she whispered, "That's him."

"Hello again… I see you weren't so fond of the doll?"

"What?" Myka responded for Cassie as she protectively moved in front of the girl.

"The doll I gave you for your birthday," the man continued, ignoring Myka, "what happened to her?"

"Who are you? Do you know what that doll is?"

"An artifact, of course," the old man said, finally turning his gaze to Myka and peering at her with ice-black eyes. Myka could feel the slight hint of fear making its way to the surface as she realized they weren't dealing with an amateur. "It's been in my family for years," the man continued.

"Who are you?" Myka asked more forcefully.

"My name is Harry Liddell," he said slowly as if waiting for her to connect the dots.

"Liddell…Liddell…as in Alice Liddell? The little girl Lewis Carroll wrote his books about?"

"Yes. Alice was my sister. She always had everyone's attention…but it was her doll that was the most interesting all along."

"The doll was Alice's."

"Yes and one day when Carroll took her and a friend out on his boat to tell them stories of a far off land, as he often did, Alice actually went to Wonderland. She bragged about it to me, but wouldn't take me. I don't think she realized the doll was the source of her adventure at that point and she was more than little spooked by the whole thing. But when we were older, she went again, and that's how we found out it was the doll. She vowed to never go back, but I had other plans…though it took me another decade to gain the courage to venture there myself."

Myka listened intently at his story, picturing a young boy and later a young man, learning about the magic of an artifact. "How are you still alive?"

"I was trapped in Wonderland for some time after finally exploring it myself."

"Trapped?"

"Yes just like you've been.. though you have a lot more wit than I."

"Well I had Alice's experience to call upon. She never told you how she got back?"

"She never fully understood herself. For a long time, she just considered the entire adventure a dream…how is my sister by the way?" Henry asked suddenly changing the subject. "I hear she's been terrorizing you warehouse agents again."

Myka squinted at him, shocked. "How do you know about the warehouse?" she asked slowly. "And what's your motive behind kidnapping these girls?"

But before Henry could answer, an SUV pulled up and out climbed Pete, Helena, and Claudia, oblivious to the current situation. Henry glanced in their direction and tried to make a run for it, but he was old and didn't get passed the parking lot before Myka had caught up with him and gently tackled him to the ground, careful not to hurt his fragile frame.

"Come on, Henry…didn't really think it would be that easy did you?"

"Actually, I did," the old man replied, chuckling to himself. "But it seems fate has finally caught up with me."

"What on earth is going on?" Helena exclaimed frantically, running up to where Myka and Henry were currently on the ground.

"Helena, meet Henry Liddell…as in Alice Liddell's older brother. He's the reason we've been in Wonderland the last…Pete how long have we been gone?"

"A few hours…not too long, but you guys just literally disappeared. It scared the crap out of me."

"Hours? It felt more like 2 days," Helena replied, her eyes narrowing. "Henry Liddell..." she continued slowly as if remembering something. She smiled to herself as something came to the front of her mind.

"Yes it's been a while, hasn't it Helena."

"Indeed," she replied nodding.

"How do you two know each other? And why do you know every bad guy, Helena, hm?" Pete exclaimed tersely.

Helena ignored his comment but turned to Myka to provide an explanation. "During my days at Warehouse 12 we were looking into possible Lewis Carroll artifacts since he's a prime subject for such occurrences… it was a side project…something we did with lots of possible artifacts that hadn't yet "pinged" as you call it. That's when I ran into a _much _younger and very charming Henry," Helena said glancing his way.

"Don't tell me you guys did it… oh man Helena, come on he's _old_."

"I haven't always been this way," Henry said defending himself as he stood up with a slight groan and dusted off his trousers. "Besides, our encounter was what acquitted me of any suspicions…rather useful."

Helena rolled her eyes dramatically and folded her arms.

"Helena, you slept with him?" Myka said accusingly. She didn't know what this feeling was in the pit of her stomach but it was making it difficult to be rational.

Helena's eyes widened and she quickly moved toward Myka, trying to grab onto her hands, but only to be pushed away.

"Myka it was over a century ago. You can't honestly be jealous," Helena offered.

"You don't get to tell me how I'm feeling Helena," Myka said roughly as she pulled back both physically and emotionally.

Pete and Claudia glanced at each other, eyes wide, both resisting the urge to point and acknowledge the very real tension between the two agents. One thing was certain, Mrs. Frederick was right.

Myka suddenly made her way back to the car, feeling a familiar tightness in her throat and wetness in her eyes. _Myka don't you dare cry. Get a grip! _But no matter what she told herself, she just couldn't seem to keep her emotions at bay. Why did she feel so strongly about an encounter Helena had before she was even born?

"Myka!" She heard Helena call but she was already at the car and swiftly hopped in and closed the door. She needed time to think. Let the others deal with Henry.

Helena frowned and turned back around to face the others. "Am I completely wrong here, or is she overreacting a bit?"

"She's definitely overreacting, Helena, but can you blame her?" Claudia asked.

"But why?" Helena asked confused.

"Helena, don't be so dense," Henry said walking over. "The girl's in love with you."

"She's what?" Helena whispered.

"Yeah dude, that's what I was trying to say," Claudia responded. "Myka's in love with you and I think she has been for a while."

Helena's face softened as a warm feeling engulfed her. For the first time in a long time she felt some of the weight she had been carrying dissipate. _Myka Bering is in love with me,_ she thought but immediately afterwards the darkness inside her brutally replied, _But, I don't deserve her love._

Myka watched her carefully out of the car window and saw the instant torment on Helena's face as she thought about the horrible things she's done and how they must make her unworthy of love. Seeing that torment in Helena's eyes effectively washed away the feelings of doubt Myka was trying to deal with. So she opened the car door, ignoring the protest from her still fresh wound, and ran to her. Helena flinched as Myka cupped her face, but otherwise remained still.

"Helena look at me," Myka began. "I'm not mad. I actually don't know why I even got upset in the first place."

"I think you do, Myka," Helena replied with a sad smile and a nod of encouragement.

There was a lengthy silence as they both fought with their inner demons telling them that what they felt for each other wasn't real. Then finally Myka nodded and said, "You're right. I…I love you Helena and I know you love me. I felt it when we kissed and I know you're afraid and you think that because of your past that you can't be with me, but that's not true. You aren't a monster Helena… you aren't the bad guy. You're the woman I love and that's all that matters." Then Myka vigorously pressed her lips against Helena's to the delightful surprise of their audience and for the second time that day Myka felt the world around her melt away.


End file.
